Space Needle

Space Needle, Seattle Washington Image provided by Classroom Clip Art

The Space Needle is perhaps Seattle's most recognizable landmark. Built for the Century 21 Exposition, the 1962 World's Fair, it is a 605-foot-high, 138-foot-wide tower that weighs 9,550 tons. It features an observation deck and restaurant; access to the top is via elevators that travel at 10 mph. It was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River at the time it was built.